When 12 year-old Tyler Trent is sent by his Uncle Tad to a disappearing bookstore in New York City to find the Book of Mysteries, he and his best friend, Zack Vander, have no idea that they will enter into an exciting and dangerous adventure in the strange land of Balara. The two boys, with the help of a two Balaran girls, a dragon-slayer giant, and a yellow polka dot dog, must battle a wizard and a fire-breathing dragon to resolve the mystery of the Wizard of Balalac.

Fran Orenstein, Ed.D., published author and poet, also edits both poetry and prose. She wrote her first poem at age eight and has written and published academically and professionally since then. This included working as a magazine editor and writer, writing political speeches and material for state government and newsletters for various organizations. Her credits include four previously published ‘tween novels and a book of children’s poetry. The second edition of The Wizard of Balalac from The Book of Mysteries is on sale at http://www.sleepytownpress.com. Watch for the debut of book two in this series, The Gargoyles of Blackthorne coming soon from Sleepytown Press. A teen historical romance novel will arrive in October from Whiskey Creek Press in Ebook format. And…there are more books as yet unpublished. Dr. Orenstein just finished an adult anthology of mystery, ghost, and vampire short stories. Currently she is writing an adult novel of human frailty and redemption, with bursts of poetic creativity in between, and is planning book three in The Book of Mysteries Series, The Griffons of Spyr. Check her website at http://www.franorenstein.weebly.com and http://www.myspace.com/franorenstein.

In the first book of this exciting sci-fi/fantasy trilogy, Briggen, the brawny warrior prince, is plucked from a hostile planet by the powerful wizard, Quinhelm, beginning his desperate plunge into the midst of an interplanetary war. Briggen and Quinhelm rush home as the powerful Xandoth and their allies surge across the galaxy, killing and laying waste to everything they encounter. As Briggen confronts the evil Sorceress of Endih, squabbling nobles and an assassin on his home planet, the great dragon Ephereon abducts the good sorceress, Telana, instructing her in the ways of magic. To her astonishment, Telana learns that she is the Chosen One, the one foretold by the ancients to lead the people of Mantasi to a stunning victory. Telana joins forces with Briggen as they battle the Xandoth for supremacy over the planet. Will magic and courage triumph over the powerful forces of evil?

In The Devil’s Crescent, hardened bounty hunter Diego Montoya descends upon a small Texas village in the midst of a cloudburst and boldly plunges into the life of beautiful, small time cattle rancher, Maggie MacNaughton. Diego is a man haunted by a past filled with death and disappointment, a nobleman fleeing from the dictates of his demanding father and an arranged marriage. When a U.S. Marshall asks Diego to infiltrate a gun runner’s operation, Diego reluctantly agrees, shadowing the powerful land baron, Morgan Lansing. Morgan’s efforts play into the hands of a group of Mexican nationalists, who quickly claim the land vacated by the terrified settlers until only one parcel stands in the way of their march toward the border — the one occupied by Maggie MacNaughton. Diego and Maggie match wits and wills as the danger mounts. Only their reliance upon each other has the power to save them from a swift and certain death.

Crenellations is a marvelous collection of poetry that will enchant and inspire the reader to the greatest of human emotions. This is a seamless journey from the mist-enshrouded hills of Scotland to the peace of the Cathedral at York, from the mysterious Stonehenge to the sparkling vision of a fairy bower, and from dragons and wizards to the simplest of Earth’s creatures. May this journey be but the first step as we stride the path of greater knowledge, embracing all that we are and all that we may some day become.

The Mammalian Way by Gary James
From holding hands as you walk through the park to murder-suicide, “The Mammalian Way” plays a role in all human relationships past the age of puberty. Learn the attributes of this Social Theory to gain better relationships and to live a safer more pleasu
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